McNamee takes stand in Clemens trial

[nggallery id=4437]Key government witness Brian McNamee took the stand today in the Roger Clemens perjury retrial, opening the most important prosecution testimony in the case.

McNamee, Clemens’ former strength coach, was nervous at first on the stand, shifting in his chair and speaking softly. But as the initial line of questioning went on, establishing where he was from and his career background, McNamee became more comfortable, speaking clearly in a voice tinged with a heavy New York accent. Dressed in a light suit with a white collared shirt and tan tie, McNamee avoided all eye contact with any members of the Clemens team, instead turning to look directly at the jury as he spoke.

The line of questioning began with McNamee’s past as a baseball player. He began in high school as a catcher, he said, before receiving a scholarship to play at St. John’s University in Queens. His ultimate goal, McNamee said, was to play for major league baseball. He briefly attended the Chicago White Sox spring training camp for a tryout before being sent home because he “didn’t play well.”

From there, testimony delved into McNamee’s time with the New York Yankees. The former Clemens’ strength coach was first asked to describe the hierarchy of the club, before delving into specifics on his role within the team. He spoke on the difference between a strength coach and an athletic trainer, and said that as a strength coach, he did not have the ability to administer injections or medications.

The government is expected to use McNamee’s testimony that he injected Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs as a key piece of its case against the star pitcher.

In response, the Clemens defense team will likely hammer away at questions about McNamee’s credibility.

In preparation for that, the morning before McNamee took the stand was used for arguments on whether or not to admit evidence about the former strength coach’s divorce proceedings, drug and alcohol abuse and sexual assault charges.